real estate courses: Jargon - 02/09/16 08:27 PM
 I happened to be in a local real estate office, and I overheard an agent who had opportunity time.  This is a 4-hour period an agents is allowed to take calls that come into the office regarding listings to talk with consumers who may wander in wanting information.  This time is typically known in the industry as “floor time,” “floor duty,” “on floor,” or the “duty agent.”  What the heck do they mean? 
 
Imagine you are a consumer and you call a real estate office to inquire about a sign in front of your neighbor’s yard that indicates their … (0 comments)

real estate courses: Thoughts from the Heart - 02/06/16 08:33 AM
 
February evokes thoughts from the heart, usually about loved ones and long-time relationships.  My children all live away from Florida, my husband is also my business partner, and my dearest friends and I stay in touch regularly.  So instead of thoughts from the heart about friends and family, I am thinking more of thoughts from the heart of a real estate career gone by.
 
Having had the privilege of practicing for many years, relationships came and went, but there were always certain people who touched my life at different times in my career.
 
One of the fondest memories … (2 comments)

real estate courses: Post License Class is Done! - 02/01/16 09:43 PM
Post License class is done today.  All week was spent with 16 exceptional agents, most of whom I had the pleasure of teaching their pre license class.  It amazes me how far they’ve come in such a short period of time.
 
Most of these 16 agents have been working since they were licensed.  Trying to get post license class done was a challenge because many of them had obligations that had to be taken care of through the week, and as we all know, business comes first during the day!
 
Post license class is done, but the training will … (1 comments)

real estate courses: The Real Estate Market is Cyclical - 01/31/16 02:31 AM
I am living proof that the real estate market is cyclical.  Being able to see the real estate trends in this country since 1983, I stand amazed at how cyclical things are.  In 1983, when I first began my career in real estate, interest rates were double-digits.  I recall vividly my first sale:  a 3/2 doublewide mobile home.  It sold for $39,900, owner financing with $5,000 down and interest at 13%!  Thankfully, we aren’t facing those interest rates any time soon.
 
Throughout the years, we’ve ridden the crest of good times, bad times and times that many agents and brokers thought … (0 comments)

real estate courses: Why Do We Really Work? - 01/31/16 02:09 AM
Why do we really work?  Is it only to pay our bills, to get a new car, or to send our kids to college?  Do we work only for the money or do we work for some sort of self-satisfaction? 
 
Why do we really work?  Isn’t the stage of one’s life the determinant of that answer?  When I was younger, a single mother of two little girls, work for me meant survival.  Even after having married, the necessity to bring in a second paycheck was very real.
 
Why do we really work?  When did it all change?  For … (2 comments)

real estate courses: TEAM Hughes Reflections of January - 01/25/16 09:32 PM
 
TEAM Hughes Real Estate School has completed its January classes, and reflections of January are definitely in order.  Historically, January is a successful month for real estate schools.  People’s goals and resolutions are renewed once Christmas has passed, and January is a month of new beginnings.  We gear up with the hope that January will be better than average, and January of 2016 was no disappointment.
 
TEAM Hughes is very cautious about publicizing pass rates or bragging to its students about its success.  It’s humbling when asked by a prospective student about its pass rate, and although the first … (0 comments)

real estate courses: Weren’t You Ever Scared? - 01/24/16 09:26 PM
 
Last week during our One-Week Fast Track Real Estate Class, a student asked me, “Weren’t you ever scared?”   My response was, to my surprise, an emotional one with tears welling up in my eyes.  Of course, I’ve been scared.  In 1983, I was a young, single Mom receiving no child support.  A bad marriage and an ill father forced me to make a decision that would alter my life forever.  One of the products of that decision became a fairly successful career in real estate.
 
Being afraid was part of a daily life I never stopped experiencing.  Whether it … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Brittany Asked Me To Do It! - 01/16/16 10:43 PM
 
Brittany Cook (permission to use her real name was given) is a local REALTOR®, and I was honored to teach Brittany her pre license class, as well as her post license class.  When I first met Brittany, she not only struck me as being intelligent, but she also struck me as a woman who would stick to her guns and fight for what she believed was right.
 
The other day I was working on blogging for the week.  I came up with Monday’s and Wednesday’s blog, but drew a blank for Friday’s.  As I was sitting there in a … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Classroom or Online Course - 01/16/16 02:30 AM
 
We TEAM Hughes Real Estate School instructors regularly get asked our opinion as to which is better, a classroom or online course.  Each type of course has its own advantages and disadvantages, and some are below.
 
Obviously, an online course is less expensive because instructor time is not built into it.  An instructor is on standby for student calls during business hours, but what happens if a student has a question and the school is closed?  Unfortunately, that student must stop at that point or come back to the concept after the question is answered during normal hours.  This … (2 comments)

real estate courses: Breaking Records! - 01/16/16 02:03 AM
 
January is historically a time when people still have their resolve about them and they are determined to meet all those New Year resolutions they made on December 31st.  In our industry, breaking records will usually occur in January and/or February.  This year is no exception.  Between the two classes, we have an attendance we’ve never experienced!
 
Our evening class began January 4th and our Fast Track class begins today.  We are a Mom and Pop type of organization, and Keller Williams Realty Gulf Coast is gracious enough to allow our school to conduct classes out of their training … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Forgot to Blog! - 01/14/16 09:37 PM
When the plate is full, time is speeding by quickly, and curriculums all need to be updated, it’s easy to forget to blog.  Blogging is not for the faint of heart, and when it is compounded by a state of frenzy and a cluttered mind, it can become a huge burden.
 
Have you ever wanted to do something and you kept putting it on the back burner because it took a commitment of time and energy?  The more you procrastinate, the larger the goal becomes and the more it appears to be impossible to achieve.  That’s how I forgot to … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Your “State of the Union Address” - 01/12/16 09:14 PM
 
Last night the president gave his state of the union address.  Regardless of your personal politics, many of us felt some of the rhetoric was all too familiar to us.  Actually, we’ve been told over and over that things will get better, and that we can make it happen.
 
I began thinking about the state of the union address and how it affects us personally.  Many Americans find themselves faced with jobs they do not love, jobs for which they have no passion, and jobs that merely allow them to pay the bills.
 
Your “state of the union … (7 comments)

real estate courses: Even Real Estate Agents Need to be Nudged - 01/10/16 09:00 AM
 
When you were in school, you put off doing your homework until the day before it was due.  You wait as late as possible to file your tax return.  You still dislike having to do certain things by deadlines.  Procrastination is something you’ve experienced many times.  If you can relate to some of these scenarios, then you can understand even real estate agents need to be nudged.
 
At the time Florida real estate licensees are issued their license, they have anywhere between 18 and 24 months to complete an additional 45 hours of post licensing education.  That’s a year … (1 comments)

real estate courses: We Always Need New Agents - 01/05/16 09:10 AM
 
As a real estate instructor and school owner, my opinion is that we always need new agents in the practice of real estate.  Many seasoned real estate agents would disagree with that statement, but that’s because most of them no longer welcome competition and they’ve lost their love of synergism.
 
We always need new agents because they bring with them fresh ideas, lots of energy, a zeal we’ve lost, and new ways of taking care of business.  If new agents can be taught the proper way of conducting business at the outset, there is a better chance they won’t … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Have a Blessed Few Days! - 12/09/15 08:15 PM
We are in Illinois and pray you have a blessed few days!  Our time here has been wonderful.  We've played with grandchildren and are exhausted!  We've caught up visiting with one of the kids and her husband.  We've eaten way too much and laughed way too hard.
 
We want you to have a blessed few days because no matter what your doctrinal beliefs are, this is a wonderful season for family and friends.  We are looking forward to traveling through 2016 with you and want you to know that we stand ready to serve you.
 
Have a blessed few … (1 comments)

real estate courses: New Year Expectations - 12/09/15 08:12 PM
What might your New Year expectations include?  Will there be improvements in finances, job security, personal satisfaction?  Do your New Year expectations include a certain amount of focus on your spiritual life or your theology?  Are the New Year expectations just about money, career and working?
 
Nobody can tell you what to dream, and we cannot control many of the things that happen throughout the year.  What we can control, however, is our reaction to circumstances or situations that appear to jump out of nowhere.
 
If you regularly read my blogs, you know I gave up making New Year … (2 comments)

real estate courses: Don't Substitute that Job for Your Dream! - 12/07/15 09:05 AM
Hi everyone, January is right around the corner.  Don’t substitute that job for your dream.  I know it’s easy to get lulled into the idea that you can’t pursue your dream because you’re busy paying the bills.  We’ve come up with a solution for you in case your dream is to sell real estate.
 
TEAM Hughes is excited to offer an evening class beginning January 4, 2016.  It will run Mondays-Thursdays, 5:30 pm until 9:30 pm for 3 weeks.  Afterward, you’ll come back in on the following Sunday and take your final exam along with the January One-Week Fast Track … (1 comments)

real estate courses: It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas - 12/02/15 10:57 PM
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go.  That makes it difficult to concentrate on blogging.  Sitting by my daughter’s Christmas tree, sipping hot coffee, Gracie and Anna tugging at me for attention – all of these sweet memories remove us from the reality of our lives in Florida.  We cherish the few short weeks we have with family this time of year, but on the other hand, we look forward to getting back to the Panhandle to take up where we left off.
 
This coming year will be exciting for us!  Our goal of helping you will be … (3 comments)

real estate courses: Are You in Control? - 12/02/15 10:54 PM
Be honest with yourself; tell the truth.  Are you really in control of your life?  Admittedly, a great deal of what happens to us in life is beyond our control.  We are, however, in control of how we react to the various things that happen.
 
Many well-meaning friends and family will caution you to beware of your decisions.  Decisions will affect others in your life, so are you in control?  If you are a breadwinner, does that automatically mean you cannot follow your dreams or exercise your passions?  We are free to control some of our decisions even if they do affect … (1 comments)

real estate courses: Do You Make Resolutions? - 12/02/15 10:51 PM
Do you make resolutions for the New Year, hoping to achieve something you’ve not been able to do in the past? I used to make all kinds of New Year resolutions when I was younger. After many years of seeing the resolutions fall by the wayside, I stopped making them. Now I make goals, and for some reason they seem more achievable than resolutions.
 
When I first became licensed in 1983, it was mid-year and I had never made any kind of goals for myself or for my family. I was still making resolutions that would last a couple of weeks into … (1 comments)